Friday

CALICO 2009

Conference Presentations Day Two

March 13

8:00 – 8:45

Learning Blends and 3D Virtual Worlds to Promote Oral Skills Development in Modern Language EducationTon Koenraad
The Dutch project ViTAAL presented here aims to explore activity designs for voice-enabled 3D virtual worlds to enhance the attractiveness of language learning and support task-based methodologies with a focus on oral skills. To this end schools and teacher education organizations collaborate to develop and test specific activity formats. In this paper we document the experiences with formats such as cross-media, interactive narrative LanguageQuests, and the provision of online events and fun activities such as quizzes, fortune-telling and karaoke competitions to promote informal learning. We highlight the organizational issues in this learning blend, offering learning practices for all partners involved.

Technology-Enhanced Blended Learning in an ESL classMaja Grgurovic
Blended learning, a combination of face-to-face and online instruction, has been primarily investigated in comparison studies. In order to further advance the research in this area, some authors (Neumeier, 2005) point out a need to situate studies within theoretical frameworks and to move beyond quantitative comparison methods (Chapelle, 2003). In view of these needs, the present study investigates a technology-enhanced blended learning model in an ESL class, using three theoretical frameworks and employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The findings about CALL innovation, face-to-face and online mode integration, and learner-computer interaction can inform the introduction of CALL into a language program.

CALL Technology Education for L2 Teachers: Does It Work?Kwang Hee Hong
The present study investigates the influence of L2 teachers’ prior technology education experience on their use of computer technology in the classroom. The data were collected from L2 teachers (including ESL teachers) in public secondary schools (grades 7-12) across a county in a Midwestern state (a total of 454 teachers across 91 schools in 16 school districts). The findings of the study show that L2 teachers with more technology education experience were more likely to use computer technology in the classroom.

Performing Caperucita: Video Production in the Spanish classroomVictoria Maillo
This presentation describes the use of video production in the Spanish intermediate classroom to promote active learning and language acquisition through the use of technology. Student presenters will provide their own perspectives of the project and together with the instructor will discuss the pedagogical benefits as well as lessons learned from this experience.Recording of this session

Comparison of Synchronous and Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Peer Reviews by EFL College StudentsChia-Wei Pai
The study compares asynchronous versus synchronous computermediated peer review (CMPR) activities of 18 EFL English-major freshmen using Google Docs and Google Talk in two writing cycles. Copies of asynchronous comments, transcripts of synchronous talk, and different drafts were analyzed and compared regarding function and content of peer negotiations, feedback adoption rates, and text revisions. Student responses were also investigated to reveal their perspectives on experiencing CMPR. Findings of the present study can contribute to a better understanding of how media types affect the nature of peer review activities.Recording of this session

Blending Language InstructionSenta Goertler
Blended or hybrid instruction offers many advantages such as flexibility in time and space and a potential for more individualized instruction. On the other hand it also bares many dangers such as inadequate preparation and support for teachers and students. Furthermore, results on language learning in blended versus traditional instructional format have been mixed. This study compared student linguistic and computer literacy development in four traditional sections with two blended sections of third-semester German. In addition to the research results, the process of blending the curriculum, the blended curriculum, and sample activities will be shared with the audience.Recording of this session

Towards Automated Support for Language Learning while Composing First-Hand Narratives of Conflict and Conflict PreventionGregory AistSalman AhmadPierre BucherRandy ComptonMatthew GreeneTylar HoagAlan HoagEric KeylorPatrick KreckerKevin LeedsPaul MickeviciusSean PhilippPeter Woods
An emerging area in applied linguistics is language learning in authentic contexts: embedded in real-life situations at work, play, and so forth. We discuss challenges, opportunities, and prototype applications for natural language processing to support language learning while people relate first-hand narratives. For example, toogeneral words (car) can trigger more specific suggestions (jeep). We focus on the theme of Stories of War and Peace, conflict and conflict prevention, including cross-cultural communication. Not only are such experiences transformative and vivid, they often involve people of varied language backgrounds working together, creating naturally occurring demand for language learning in authentic communicative contexts

9:00 – 10:30
Extended Panel Presentation

Second Language Acquisition Theories, Technologies, and Language LearningJ. Scott PayneBryan SmithSteven ThorneLeo van Lier
In this panel, four researchers working within different second language acquisition (SLA) frameworks will relate various SLA theories to technology-related language learning. Presentations will be followed by open discussion with the audience. Panel participants are Scott Payne (Psycholinguistics of SLA), Bryan Smith (Interaction Approach to SLA), Steven Thorne (Sociocultural Approaches to SLA), and Leo van Lier (Ecological Approaches to SLA). Each presenter will provide a concise description of an SLA approach, important research and pedagogical findings produced from this framework, and address how each SLA theory might assist research, pedagogical practice, and technology design.Recording of this session

9:00 – 9:45

A Window to Study Abroad Immersion: 24/7 HD Video Streaming as a New Frontier in Language DevelopmentLance Askildson
Although video teleconferencing services have been available for over a decade, the technology for high-definition audio-video connections over existing internet infrastructure has only recently emerged. A number of exciting opportunities for language learning have accompanied these technological developments. The present case study examines the implementation of such a high-definition video link for language learning in the form of a live ‘internet window’ between the University of Notre Dame and its study abroad affiliate in France. Utilizing student feedback and observational data, this presentation will critically examine the technology and the pedagogy underlying the ‘window’ initiative while also identifying areas for future investigation and improvement.Recording of this session

Modifying Digital Role-Playing Games as a Tool to Enhance Foreign Language TeachingRegina Kaplan-Rakowski
This presentation discusses the potential of using digital role-playing game modules for the teaching of foreign languages. I focus on the distinctive characteristics of these games that are uniquely suited to the challenges of foreign language instruction. I then provide an example of a game module that illustrates these principles and presents concrete examples of foreign language teaching techniques that are customized to take advantage of the interactive roleplaying environment.Recording of this session

CALL, the Digital Divide, and Rural Development in the Age of Ubiquitous ComputingIvon Katz
Many would contend that CALL has little or no place in language classrooms in the rural areas of the developing world and that the money needed for CALL would be better used for other educational and development projects. Do economics actually force us to accept that CALL is only appropriate for one side of the digital divide? This presentation will examine examples of successful, unsuccessful, and promising CALL/technological initiatives in the developing world and offer guidelines on how existing infrastructure and/or lowcost initiatives can successfully promote both language learning and social development.

Impact of Authentic Materials and Language Learning Technology on Student SuccessUlysses Navarrete
Yes, they do exist together! Learn how to incorporate language learning technology and authentic materials into your classroom and class plans. Partnering these two elements together provide students with culturally accurate education within a multimedia environment. Discuss what authentic materials bring to the classroom, lesson, and learning process, as well as how content that is created with materials authentic to target language directly impacts student success. Learn how cultural texts, current events, videos, real-world situations and scenarios, and native speakers deliver creditability and relevance to the learning process. Technology helps the learning process, making learning interactive, engaging, self-paced, and fun!Recording of this session

Delivering Quality Interactive Language Instruction via Synchronous TeleconferencingBonnie L. YoungsMarc Siskin
This presentation explains the teaching of an interactive, first-year language course via live video and audio teleconferencing by highlighting (a) challenges found during the set up of the course, (b) choices of the equipment used, (c) adaptations and alternatives in pedagogical approaches, (d) problems in achieving the appropriate physical environment to facilitate interaction between the instructor and the students and among/between the students (the reception classroom in Qatar and the delivery classroom in Pittsburgh), (e) difficulties with equipment and tech solutions implemented, and (f) the everyday efforts required to deliver a high-quality course in which students could learn and be motivated.

This Time It’s Personal: The Power of Desktop VideoconferencingJudi FranzAkemi Morioka
The opportunity for language students to be exposed to the ‘real’ culture and authentic language use is truly beneficial. Creating such an environment in a location where the target language is not spoken outside the classroom is challenging. The Japanese language program at the University of California, Irvine has conducted videoconferences with students in Japan over the past 5 years. Our presentation will discuss the results of participating in this videoconference, including our experiences with the technology (e.g., Skype, etc), forms of conversation (one-to-one vs. group), discussion topics, the different language levels of participants, student reactions, feedback, and influences on motivation.Recording of this session

10:00 – 10:20

Explicit Feedback Versus Implicit Feedback in CALLRong Liu
Forty intermediate ESL learners participated in a pretest-treatmentposttest experiment. Two treatment groups received computerized input-based instruction. One group received implicit feedback, that is, yes/no feedback. The other group received explicit feedback, that is, explicit grammar explanation and why the answer was wrong. Results showed that there was no significant difference between implicit and explicit feedback groups. Both groups improved in the interpretation task. Input-based instruction was effective in improving participants’ ability to interpret and produce the target forms. This showed that when the role of feedback is examined, it is important to consider the types of instruction and types of measurement.Recording of this session

Digital Game-Based Learning as a Model for Language Courseware DesignMatthew Buscemi
This presentation focuses on the design and development of online English reading courseware by the presenter. Leveraging existing research in the area of digital game-based learning, the developer has provided this courseware with unique advantages in motivating student progress through tasks in the courseware and monitoring student learning. The presenter argues that a design framework emphasizing the importance of both second language acquisition theory and game-based learning will increase learner motivation and engagement with the English language reading modules. The presentation will summarize preliminary results of a study that utilized data gathered from the courseware.

Lexical Processing: Methodology of IntervalsUlf Schuetze
The presentation reports on the methodology of a large-scale study carried out on lexical processing in second language acquisition trying to answer the question what intervals are most efficient for a lexical item to move from passive to active status (Laufer, 2007). A virtual vocabulary program (ViVo) that was developed at the University of Victoria is currently tested with 120 students of beginning German courses using two modes: a uniform spaced and a graduated spaced interval. The items learned and tested are based on the textbook used and presented with images, sound files, and sample sentences. Tests were carried out at the end of each 10-day learning period.Recording of this session

Lexico-Grammatical Complexity in a TB-SCMC TaskKarina Collentine
Robinson (2001) argues that task-based language teaching (TBLT) provides design principles that establish conditions that encourage learners to produce discourse containing lexico-grammatical complexity. Yet, an important question to address in TBLT research is how to operationalize complexity since many researchers use a small set of metrics (e.g., t-units). The present study, thus, employs corpus-linguistics analytical tools to explore whether researchers should compare learner complexity in task-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (TB-SCMC) to native speaker ‘models’ of complexity or to learner models of complexity (e.g., to what they might produce in an expository composition or narrative).

Redesigning Courses for the Postcommunicative, Digital Age: Who Is ReadyMark KnowlesEdwige Simon
This presentation explores the applicability of a language center/language faculty partnership based on a current initiative at University of Colorado, Boulder, between upper level literature teachers and ourselves. We will report on research of said faculties’ readiness in terms of the perceptions, anxieties, and motivations for undertaking course redesign and will present our strategies for instilling cooperation. We will provide a defense for what may be a controversial choice of this particular population. Discussion will also center on recent course redesign initiatives that leverage the potential of technology (Bransford et al., 2004), and that are founded upon the principles of anchored instruction.Recording of this session

Virtual Learning in 3-D Virtual Business Environments: The Construction of Interactive Frames to Complete Assigned Tasks in an Online ClassroomStella Hadjistassou
The aim of this study was to expand the current instructional practices from the conventional Blackboard system to incorporate specific learning tasks in virtual environments and to address the following questions: (a) How can students implement such virtual forums to expand the collaborative frames and to examine business practices? (b) In what ways can students utilize such virtual forums to complete their assigned tasks? and (c) What are some of the major challenges that students encountered in this process?

10:30 – 10:50

NetRecorder: A Simple Internet-Enabled Recording UtilityDevin Asay
The NetRecorder was developed to meet a persistent need by language instructors at Brigham Young University. Teachers needed a way for students to quickly and reliably record their oral language skills and a quick and easy way to review those recordings. The NetRecorder is a custom application developed using Runtime Revolution. Students use the NetRecorder utility’s simple start-and-stop recording interface to record. It then automatically saves their recordings to a networked database. A companion utility for teachers allows them to easily create recording assignments or to call up the recordings for review after the students have recorded them.Recording of this session

L2 Socialization in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (SCMC): Korean Task-Based DyadsHyewon Lee
This paper investigates how Korean native speaker (NS)-nonnative speaker (NNS) chats and Korean heritage speaker (KHS)-NNS chats in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) can differently enhance language socialization (LS). Preliminary findings show that KHSs, like NSs, can provide NNSs with linguistic knowledge and sociocultural resources for language practices and benefit in developing a positive attitude towards their own linguistic and cultural knowledge of Korean. Also, the process of LS seems to be bidirectional in that NNSs also teach or express their communicative needs to NSs or KHSs. Through this type of social interaction in SCMC, which includes gradually more active participation by NNSs, what was firstly a practice used by NSs or KHSs becomes a part of NNSs’ linguistic and cognitive range.Recording of this session

A Comparative Analysis of Instructional Discourse on English as a Second Language Teaching WebsitesHaesong Lee
This study examined the differences in the nature of instructional discourse between two contrastive types of English as a second language (ESL) teaching websites: drill-and-practice sites and discussion-oriented sites. Prompts for drill/practice and discussion activities were selected from five online learning materials on the MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource form Learning and Online Teaching) site and subsequently subjected to a frequency and a concordance analysis using the Simple Concordance Program. Results indicate striking differences in the nature of instructional discourse in the two contexts. Discussions are presented in terms of behaviorist theory of learning and scaffolding strategies.

The Use of Blogs and Wikis in Learning the Preterite and Imperfect Aspects in SpanishDaniel Castaneda
This study investigates the influence of blog and wiki technologies on student performance when learning the preterite and imperfect aspects in Spanish. Preliminary results show that there were no significant differences in language gains and satisfaction level. However, from the technological perspective, the results suggest that the wiki is as effective as the blog in students’ learning of the preterite and imperfect aspects. Current research on this topic takes into account a different population, a longer treatment time, and the incorporation of a qualitative component.Recording of this session

Technological Activities in Language Learning: From the Mouths of StudentsNandini SarmaAlysse WeinbergMartine Peters
This paper examines the perception students have of technological activities used in language classes at the university level. Students from 5 Canadian universities (N = 71) described and discussed the technological activities they had encountered in their French classes. Twenty-two activities were identified and described using 34 constructs or characteristics that emerged during the discussion among participants. In general, students have clear views on the technological activities used in their language courses and find that they have a positive effect on their learning. Our conclusions pave the way for further research and offer recommendations for language teachers.Recording of this session

1:30 – 2:15

Beyond Blackboard: Using Wikis in L2 Composition and CollaborationRobert L. Davis
Course management systems like Blackboard have become a staple in university programs. However, these systems have limitations: access is restricted to faculty and enrolled students, and CMSs do little to facilitate students’ creativity or motivation in generating content. This session will demonstrate the use of a free wiki service as a tool to enhance L2 process writing in Spanish in a range of contexts: a small-format advanced-level content class, a first-year culture class, and a lower division program at two sites (distance learning). Suggestions for assessing student work and generalizing the model to other contexts will be provided.Recording of this session

Using Second Life in World Language Teacher Education ContextsMehmet SahinJulio C. RodriguezKarina Silva
This presentation will provide an introduction to one of the most popular and sophisticated virtual worlds, Second Life (SL), and will explore its potential in the intricate context of world language teacher education and development. We will use technology, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) as a platform for both the exploration and discussion of the main features of the environment as well as the organization of the discussion of preliminary findings from a survey administered to world language educators who actively use SL. Findings are used to propose core guidelines for the optimal application of SL to professional development opportunities.Recording of this session

Priming the Language Pump with Sounds, Images, and TextMichael Bush
This presentation will report on research into the effectiveness of the ideas of I. A. Richards, the Cambridge and Harvard scholar and researcher who developed during the middle of the 20th century a series of language-learning books known as the Language through Pictures series. Although Richards foresaw the revolutionary impact that computer technology could have on learning, this potential remains largely unfulfilled. This presentation will report on studies that (a) target Modern Standard Arabic using today’s technologies that were unavailable during Richards’ and (b) update his learning strategies with techniques drawn from current language-learning theory.

Learner Interactions With, and Affective Views of, Gloss Presentations in CALL ReadingElizabeth Lavolette
Sixty-nine adult ESL students read two Web-based texts that used different gloss presentations: one required them to click on glossed words, and the other required them to hover the mouse over the glossed words. The participants were split almost evenly among liking the click, hover, and both presentations. A strong effect was found for the length of time that the participants had lived in English- speaking countries; those who had lived in these countries the shortest time (approximately 6 months) preferred the click presentation, while those who had lived there the longest time (5 years+) preferred the hover presentation. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

CALL in Second Life: Instructional Strategies and Activities for Language Learning in a Virtual WorldDouglas W. CanfieldRegina Kaplan-RakowskiRandall SadlerLisa VolleThom Thibeault
The presenters will demonstrate innovative CALL strategies and activities allowed through the technology of the virtual world, Second Life, with emphasis on the pedagogical aspects of each. Three-dimensional learning objects constructed with Second Life’s building features will also be presented. Virtual worlds provide immediate access to native speakers throughout the real world, have cultural themes and social settings, and allow capture of conversations for later analysis. Attendees who would like to participate should bring their WiFi-capable laptops with the Second Life application installed and have an account already created (secondlife.com). Mac and PC.

Automated Writing Evaluation and Feedback: Language-Learning PotentialElena Cotos
Research on the formative value of automated writing evaluation and intelligent feedback is still scarce and lacking foresight. This paper presents a mixed-methods study investigating the effectiveness of a new natural language processing-based program, called IADE (Intelligent Academic Discourse Evaluator). The study focuses on IADE’s discourse-related intelligent formative feedback, seeking evidence of language-learning potential. Multiple sources of data yield positive results with respect to learners’ enhanced focus on discourse form, noticing of negative evidence in their output, as well as improvement in the quality of their production.

2:30 – 3:15

Investigating Learner Variability: The Impact of Task Type on Language Learner Errors and MistakesSylvie Thouesny
Language learners do not only write incorrect forms, but also correct instances of the target language, which both provide useful information on their strengths and weaknesses. Variation in learners’ performance may be due to factors such as task type. However, information drawn from direct observations in learners’ written texts only enables inferences about learners’ performance. Following an overview of the instruments used to discriminate errors from mistakes, this paper argues that identifying both occurrences will provide a better insight into learners’ knowledge variability. It investigates whether one learner of French produces errors/mistakes in one task but not in another.Recording of this session

Incorporating International Telecollaboration into a Language Teacher Education CourseShannon Sauro
The Cyber Language Exchange is an online international collaborative exchange integrated into a joint teacher-training course in linguistics for students in an MA-TESL program and preservice certification track for undergraduates seeking an ESL endorsement. This presentation will explore the implementation of this collaborative project and will outline strategies for designing and incorporating CMC opportunities and relevant computer-mediated pedagogical tasks for language learning and language teaching in non-CALLfocused teacher education courses.Recording of this session

Apex Learning’s Online World Language SolutionsLisa Frumkes
Apex Learning provides digital curricula for differentiated instruction. Our online learning solutions are used in credit recovery, remediation, alternative schools, and distance-learning situations, as well as in traditional classroom settings. Apex Learning’s complete high school curriculum currently includes French I, French II, AP French, Spanish I, Spanish II, and AP Spanish. In this presentation, the developer of these courses will demonstrate how these materials can be used at the secondary and postsecondary level to meet students’ varying foreign language education needs in cost- and time-effective ways.

Rosetta Stone Immersion Software for Navajo Language RevitalizationMarion Bittinger
The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program is working with Navajo language experts to develop Navajo Rosetta Stone language-learning software for use in Navajo Nation schools and chapter houses. The project has been endorsed by the Navajo Nation Board of Education and is slated for completion within a year. The software is being customized through a collaborative process to accommodate the complex and vibrant Navajo language. See examples of the Navajo Rosetta Stone software and learn about the role that technology can play in language revitalization among North American Native groups.Recording of this session

Engagement, Differentiation, and Critical Thinking: Opportunities in TELL ClassroomsJoy EgbertHyun Gyung LeeJian Shian Su
As teachers we need to be explicit about our goals and processes, grounding our instruction in theory and research. Although we may not always be able to access all of the research that is conducted in the fields of inquiry that address technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), we can and should use a research-based learning framework as a guide to more closely align theory with practice. This interactive presentation links research and practice in a format that can help teachers choose strategies and tools for engaging language learners, differentiating instruction, and supporting broad goals such as critical thinking in technology-enhanced classrooms.

Social Language Learning: RSS-based Personal Learning EnvironmentsEsperanza Roman Mendoza
RSS technologies, particularly in the form of aggregators and social personalized start pages, can help internet users select, filter, organize, and manipulate information of all kinds. Used as instructional tools, these technologies can lead to scalable, informative, and productive learning processes that encourage multichannel communication and collaboration. This presentation analyzes the implementation of RSS technologies to create language learning environments in which students, through goal-oriented learning, can understand cultural contexts, develop multiple literacies, employ different channels for interaction, and discover new social dimensions. An example from the field of heritage language education is included to illustrate these RSS uses.

3:30 – 4:15

Correlating Quantitative Measures of Speech with Perceptions of FluencyGarry MolholtMaria Jose CabreraV. Krishna KumarPhillip Thompsen
Recent research projects provide differing perspectives regarding which aspects of speech signals can best predict listeners’ perceptions of fluency. For this study, spontaneous speech was elicited from 45 college freshmen who were familiar with their topic. Their files were analyzed according to the quantitative measures of rate of speech, phonation-time ratio, pitch variation, and mean length of runs. In addition, qualitative measures, including phoneme clarity and the quality of the vocabulary were also measured. Files were rated by 97 listeners for clarity, confidence, and fluency. Results show the extent to which quantitative measures alone can predict perceptions of fluency and the types of files for which the inclusion of qualitative measures improves correlations.

Second Life Chinese School: Iterative Design for Embodiment and Game PlayDongping ZhengKenneth Wade DirkinYong Zhao
In this paper we use a design-based research method to systematically examine how new designs change the environment for interaction with native speakers and among symmetrical interlocutors within a semester-long distance-learning course in Second Life Chinese School. The design framework will help unfold how the second iterative design cycle came into action with formative evaluation. Finally we will make the point that designing for an embodied experience will provide learners with opportunities in engaging in situated language learning that is meaningful and sustainable.Recording of this session
Demonstrate: Online Portfolio System for Language LearnersDanielle SteiderAnne Marie BakerDennie Hoopingarner
In the Demonstrate portfolio system, users can upload artifacts o their language learning, including test scores, documents, presentations, audio, video, and images. From this database of their work, they can create multiple web-based portfolios for multiple purposes and audiences. There is a feedback mechanism so instructors, administrators, or peers can leave formative feedback for individual portfolios. This presentation will highlight the functionality of the program as well as practical uses for formative assessment, summative assessment, teacher training, and marketing oneself for career or educational opportunities.Recording of this session

Positive Changes in Learner Identity through Foreign Language ChatAdam Mendelson
Chat transcripts from a semester-long online tutoring project for university students of Spanish reveal a positive transformation of a focal student’s online representation as a learner and user of the language. This student went from presenting himself as an inadequate speaker and frustrated student to an autonomous user of the language who regularly took advantage of opportunities to speak Spanish. The implications of his transformation include the need to explore interpersonal relationships that span virtual and physical environments, as well as the need to problematize strict divisions between online and offline identities.Recording of this session

Google Apps for Online Teacher Training: AATJ Japanese Online Instruction Network for TeachersTakeshi SengikuEiko Ushida
Google Apps provides Web 2.0 social-networking features for communication and collaboration. Can we use Google Apps instead of wikis, blogs, or Moodles to develop online courses? We examine this question from three perspectives: communication, collaboration, and instruction. The Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ) has launched an online professional development program, JOINT (Japanese Online Instruction Network for Teachers), using Google Apps and other interactive technologies. The initial pilot JOINT course, “Content-Based Instruction for Advanced Japanese,” was developed and offered in Fall 2008 and will be offered again in winter 2009. This presentation will report on the course development, evaluation of participants, and successes and challenges in using Google Apps for online teacher-training courses.

iPhone CALL: Data-Driven Learning for Mobile DevicesJ. Scott PayneMiodrag Glumac
The capabilities of Apple’s iPhone offer unique opportunities for mobile language learners. In this presentation, we will demonstrate a data-driven learning application designed specifically for the iPhone and provide an overview of iPhone application development.Recording of this session

4:30 – 5:15

Teacher’s Second Life (SL) Toolbox: A TBLT Curriculum for Incorporating SL into the Language Learning ClassroomSusan Faivre
Implementing Second Life (SL) as a vehicle for multilayered strategies in ESL/EFL classrooms can be an effective means of teaching in a new and exciting virtual environment. However, introduction to the tool can be tedious and time consuming and can detract from the course objectives. This presentation introduces a practical TBLT curriculum for incorporating SL: a website companion, machinima training videos, TBLT activities, a teacher guide, and in-world “boxes” of companion teaching materials. Though the training materials can be adapted to most classrooms, this project’s capstone task is an adapted business proposal unit.

Individual Factors and Successful Online L2 LearningRobert BlakeKelly Bilinski
What factors make for a successful L2 learning experience within a hybrid format? The results of this study point to the following individual factors as crucial to a successful online learning experience: learner discipline and affective variables, ability to collaborate in groups, and preference for auditory/kinetic learning styles. All students studied introductory Spanish with a suite of multimedia materials previously published in a DVD format but now delivered within a MOODLE wrapper that included SCORM-compliant activities and a Flash-based CMC tool. The learning materials and SCORM activities will be demonstrated and results of the profile analysis will be discussed.Recording of this session

Automatic Input Processing for Activities with Target AnswersLuiz A. Amaral
The PINATA (Processing Input for Activities with Target Answers) project develops natural language processing (NLP) tools to analyze learner language independently of the type of activity. The general goal of the project is to achieve a high degree of portability of the NLP error analysis modules in a way that different CALL systems could use them to generate linguistic analyses of student input. The PINATA system receives as input the student answer and a set of possible target answers and generates as output feedback messages about the linguistic properties of the input. Currently there are NLP modules being developed for Spanish and French.

Collaborative Writing and Web 2.0: Realities, Challenges, and OpportunitiesGreg KesslerDawn Bikowski
This paper integrates findings from three recent studies investigating NNES student discourse in collaborative writing projects using wikis and Google documents. Attention to form, focus on meaning, and response to feedback were studied in varied interactions. Implications for a shift in research and practice regarding collaborative writing will be discussed.Recording of this session

Pageflakes Versus Blackboard. The LMS Winner, by TKO … PageflakesMichael HellerEnza Antenos-ConfortiPatty Kahn
Innovative uses of technology could transform an instructor’s pedagogy by promoting a social constructivist learning environment suitable for today’s learner. Montclair State University analyzed the impact of using Pageflakes, a personalized online desktop, as an alternative to Blackboard along with integrating innovative uses of Web 2.0 technologies into the curriculum in an intermediate Italian course. This project will investigate the anticipated benefits of Pageflakes, where an integrated platform provides a systematic and interactive learning environment that accommodates the different learning styles in support of 21st century learner preferences and characteristics.

Corpus Linguistic Approaches to the Analysis of Formulaic Sequences in L2 Spanish Computer-Mediated Learner Language UseSteven ThorneJulieta FernandezAziz Yuldashev
This presentation reports the results of a quantitative analysis of> in- and out-of-class blog and instant-messaging use occurring in a high school Spanish foreign language course. The presenters use corpus linguistic methodologies to examine aspects of language development and focus particularly on formulaic sequences. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the utility of CMC tools for promoting language learning and the use of corpus linguistic tools to track changes in language development at various levels.Recording of this session

Auf Deutsch mit deinem Podcast, bitte! Innovative Use of Digital Media Portfolios, Podcasting, and German> Content in Standards-Based Classroom InstructionPeter Schultz
This presentation highlights podcasting, iMovie, and Windows Movie Maker as innovative technology tools for video production in German for high school teachers and learners. These tools are products that teachers and students can learn and implement easily to produce quality speaking and visual portfolios. Digital video portfolios support curriculum planning by meeting foreign language standards mandated by state education departments and address technology standards such as the NETS-S of ISTE. This work can also help add to the latest research in teacher education by informing teachers and researchers of innovative uses of digital portfolios in high school foreign language programs.Recording of this session

Note: the company that provided Speakerbox recordings is no longer in operation.